


Lessons With the Valar

by AllonsyMiddleEarth



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Valinor, Young Galadriel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2015-05-13
Packaged: 2018-03-30 08:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3929350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllonsyMiddleEarth/pseuds/AllonsyMiddleEarth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Artanis is slightly (though unnecessarily) afraid of Yavanna, and very excited to learn from Aulë.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lessons With the Valar

Until now, Artanis had only visited Yavanna’s Pastures with her brothers, and she was more than intimidated to come by herself. Her mother always encouraged all five of them to learn anything the Valar would teach them, and so whenever possible they would attend lessons or work in the domains of the Valar.  

Yavanna was an intimidating presence, always defensive of her creations, and she always seemed more distant to Artanis than the other Valar she had worked with; Varda, or Vána, or Irmo, who usually seemed just as interested in befriending the elves as in teaching them. Yavanna was never anything but kind to Finarfin’s children, but Artanis had never been here alone, and she had always felt that Yavanna’s attitude was capable of changing quickly- and Yavanna was someone Artanis would not want to cross.  
  
The Queen of the Earth was kneeling in the center of a field of flowers when Artanis approached shyly, unsure how to announce herself.   
  
“Artanis.” The Valië turned and smiled kindly at her. “I am glad you came. You are alone today?”  
  
“My lady.” Artanis greeted her with a bow. “Y-yes, my brothers are occupied elsewhere.”   
  
”I am glad to see you.” Yavanna told her kindly. “Would you like to assist me?”  
  
“Yes, my lady.” Artanis stepped closer to the flowers Yavanna had been growing, careful not to step on any of the others.   
  
Yavanna began to explain what she was doing, and how everything worked and grew into a flower that not only was alive but carried the ability to create seeds that could create other flowers, but though Artanis usually loved these lectures she found she couldn’t focus on Yavanna’s words for long. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy plants, she loved them. But it wasn’t fair that her brothers got to be off doing other things, while the baby of the House of Finwë was stuck growing  _flowers_ …  
  
“Artanis? Could you repeat what I last said?”  
  
Yavanna’s words yanked her out of her thoughts and her mouth went dry, and she had to fold her hands to keep them from shaking.   
  
“N-no, forgive me my lady, I apologize…” Artanis said shakily.  
  
“It is all right, young one. I can tell you would rather be elsewhere.” Yavanna laughed softly. “Would you tell me what is wrong?”  
  
“No, I did not mean-”   
  
“It is no use trying to hide the truth from me, dear.” Yavanna told her gently. “Tell me what upsets you, if you will.”   
  
Artanis looked down at the soil in front of her.   
  
“It is nothing, only, my Uncle Fëanor offered to teach my brothers in his forge today, but he did not invite me to go, because I am too young…”   
  
"I see.” Something in Yavanna’s gaze hardened, but it was not directed at Artanis. “And what did your father say of this?”   
  
“He said that I will learn when I am older, and he didn’t want to argue with my uncle by bringing it up, and that I should focus on learning from those who will teach me…” She trailed off, afraid she might insult the Valië by implying that she wanted to learn from others more. “But I am hardly younger than Aegnor! And my cousins got to watch him work when they were younger than I am. It is not fair.”  
  
“No, it does not sound fair, does it.” Artanis stared up at Yavanna in surprise, making Yavanna smile.  
  
The Queen rose and offered Artanis a hand, which she took nervously.  "Come, if forges interest you better than fields today, I know somewhere else for you to learn.“   
  
  
Aulë’s forges were more incredible than Artanis had ever imagined them. The outside she had seen, and the stone walls were artfully covered in engravings and statues carved by the Craftsman himself and his many Maiar. The inside, though, was an entire new world. She had never been inside, only Finrod and Orodreth had started lessons with Aulë so far.   
  
There were endless workbenches around long, stone tables, and fires lining the walls in colors Artanis hadn’t even known fires could glow. The room they had entered, which seemed to be the main room, was empty except for the Lord of Crafts himself, but Artanis could hear the sound of hammers ringing from other rooms nearby.   
  
He sat with his back to them, bent over a lump of metal, and it took a few moments before he reacted to their presence at all.

"Yavanna, is that you?” Aulë looked up and then turned, smiling brightly at her, and Artanis got the impression that when Aulë was working he would not willingly pause for anyone, but Yavanna seemed to be the exception. “And young Artanis, it is good to see you, child. What can I do for you?”

Before Artanis could figure out if she should speak or not, Yavanna put a hand on her shoulder and began for her.

“It seems her uncle, your student, is willing to tutor her brothers, but many are under the impression that fifteen is too young for a princess like Artanis to learn your crafts.”

“Well that will not do at all, will it.” Aulë smiled so warmly Artanis couldn’t help but to shyly return it. “My forge is always open to anyone who wishes to learn- including you.”

“Thank you, my lord.” Artanis nodded politely. “M-may I watch you work?”

“You may do more than that!” Aulë answered in his cheerful voice, amplified by the echoes it created against the stone. “Would you like to help me make something? Name it, if there is any craft in particular you would like to learn.”

“I have always been interested in rings!” Her eyes lit up, then she added politely, “If you would not mind, but I would be honored to learned whatever you might teach me.”

“Rings it is.” Aulë agreed with a smile, and beckoned Artanis to follow him to another of his work benches. Yavanna gave Artanis an encouraging smile and left them to their work.   
  
Aulë did most of the work with the metal, but he carefully explained everything he was doing and let Artanis make all the artistic decisions, explaining all the design styles and common practices to her.

By the end of the afternoon Artanis had her very own simple, silver ring to take home and, thanking Aulë profusely, she ran the whole way back to Tirion, hardly able to contain her excitement to tell her brothers everything she learned.

 

 


End file.
